Saturday, December 24, 2016

Oil-rich Canada is
expecting a boost in prosperity should U.S. President-elect Donald Trump follow
through with his apparent endorsement of the stalled Keystone XL pipeline.

That’s the
controversial multi-billion-dollar proposal by TransCanada to move crude to
U.S. Gulf Coast refineries from Alberta’s oil sands.

After years of
delays, debates and protests by environmentalists, President Barack Obama last
year rejected the plan, saying the pipeline “would not serve the national
interests of the United States.”

Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau has revealed that he has spoken by phone with Trump about the
possibility of reviving the pipeline project.

“He actually
brought up Keystone XL and indicated that he was very supportive of it and
hoping that were going to be able to work together,” Trudeau said.

The project was
touted as being the catalyst to create thousands of jobs in Canada and the U.S.

Trudeau said his
Liberal government’s recent approval of two pipeline projects – the Kinder
Morgan expansion to British Columbia and Line 3 through Saskatchewan and
Manitoba – will create more than 20,000 jobs and expand the markets where
Canadian oil will be sold.

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Most Canadians
don’t have to dream of having a white Christmas this year.

Across the country,
many places still have snow left over from earlier in the month including
Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Fredericton and the three territorial
capitals.

Weather Network
chief meteorologist Chris Scott said at mid-week he expected places with little
or no snow to include the coast of British Columbia, Calgary, Halifax and St.
John’s.

Storms were also
brewing this weekend for most of Manitoba, part of eastern Saskatchewan and
northwestern Ontario.

- Canada’s telecom
regulator has ruled that high-speed Internet is a “basic-service entitlement”
similar to having a home phone. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
Commission said since high-speed access is a basic telecom service objective,
it will require carriers to contribute to a $750-million fund to expand
networks into rural and remote communities. The agency did not say whether that
would lower prices that are among the highest in the world.

- Grocery shoppers
might not agree but Statistics Canada said lower food prices helped pull down
the annual inflation rate to 1.2 percent last month from 1.5 percent in
October. There were lower prices for fresh produce and meat compared to a year
ago. Economists said this will help the Bank of Canada continue its low
interest rate policy.

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Facts and figures:

The Canadian dollar
dropped to 73.87 cents U.S. on Friday while the U.S. dollar returned $1.353
Canadian, before exchange fees.

The Bank of
Canada’s key interest rate remains at 0.5 percent while the prime-lending rate
is 2.7 percent.

Stock markets are mixed,
with the Toronto exchange index up at 15,356 points while the TSX Venture index
is down at 726 points.

The average price
for gas in Canada has risen to $1.082 a liter or $4.11 (Canadian) for a U.S.
gallon.

- WestJet Airlines
has treated the residents of wildfire-ravaged Fort McMurray, Alberta to its
annual “Christmas miracle.” The airline hosted a Snowflake Soiree featuring a concert
by country music artist Johnny Reid and food along with a surprise gift for
all. Parachutes dropped from the sky carrying a Christmas ornament for
each family and a free round-trip airline ticket for each of the 826 people at
the event.

- Alberta Parks
officers are warning visitors to be wary of a huge bull moose approaching cars
to lick the road salt splattered on them that’s used to melt snow and ice. The
marauding moose was seen in parking lots at Chester Lake and Burstall Pass
trailheads. As well, sheep are also using cars as giant salt licks in Banff
National Park. One of the animals “left moose kisses all over our vehicle and
that’s a pretty Canadian, rare experience,” said Theresa Malan.